By: Seringe S.T. Touray
Senegalese authorities have ordered the seizure of assets belonging to veteran journalist Madiambal Diagne, his wife Mabinta Diaby, and their two sons Mouhamed and Serigne Saliou Diagne, as the financial crimes investigation against the family deepens. The directive was issued by Judge Idrissa Diarra, President of the Financial Judicial Pool, who authorised the Division of Criminal Investigations to confiscate all movable and immovable properties as well as bank accounts held in their names.
According to reports by L’Observateur, the list of assets includes a villa in Cité Djily Mbaye, a three-storey building in Cité Batrain, another property located in Yoff Virage, and a sixteen-storey building still under construction on the Corniche Ouest near the Monument of the Renaissance. The judicial order also requests that bank statements be obtained from CBAO, NSIA Bank, and UBA for accounts opened in the name of Mabinta Diaby or her company Bee Ingénierie, which is managed by their son Mouhamed Diagne. A Mercedes-Benz belonging to Mabinta Diaby has also been listed among the items to be seized. Judge Diarra further instructed investigators to take any other action deemed necessary in the interest of the judicial proceedings.
These measures represent the latest development in a case that has captivated Senegal’s public for weeks. Madiambal Diagne, a prominent journalist and founder of Avenir Communication, is accused of being linked to Ellipse Projects International, a French company at the centre of a 250-billion-CFA programme for the modernisation of justice infrastructure. The investigation began after Senegal’s financial intelligence unit, CENTIF, reported suspicious transactions allegedly tied to the project. Diagne, who was under both an arrest warrant and a travel ban, managed to leave the country on the night of September 23rd to 24th, prompting the dismissal of senior airport and police officials and the issuing of an international arrest warrant against him.
Following his departure, authorities detained his wife, two sons, and a close associate described as a marabout. They were later remanded in custody on charges of criminal association, fraud involving public funds, and money laundering committed through an organised group. Their arrests followed weeks of police operations during which investigators seized cash and documents said to be linked to the alleged transactions.
Speaking from France, Diagne has rejected all allegations, describing the case as a political plot orchestrated by Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko and claiming that his family members have been taken hostage to pressure him. He insists that none of his assets originate from public contracts and that his businesses have operated transparently. Diagne says he has assembled a legal team comprising both Senegalese and French lawyers to challenge the accusations and the seizure of his property, arguing that his departure from Senegal was legal and that no formal notice of travel restriction was ever delivered to him.
The seizure is considered a precautionary measure pending the outcome of the wider investigation. Legal analysts in Dakar say the defence may challenge the order before the courts, arguing that it violates the presumption of innocence and lacks sufficient evidence connecting the assets to criminal conduct. With Diagne still in France and his family in detention, the case continues to raise concerns about judicial impartiality, the politicisation of corruption cases, and the handling of cross-border warrants in Senegal’s justice system.
By: Seringe S.T. Touray Senegalese authorities have ordered the seizure of assets belonging to veteran journalist Madiambal Diagne, his wife Mabinta Diaby, and their two sons Mouhamed and Serigne Saliou Diagne, as the financial crimes investigation against the family deepens. The directive was issued by Judge Idrissa Diarra, President of the Financial Judicial Pool, who The Fatu Network
